Argentophilia of neuronal perikarya and perikaryal neurofibrils occurred whenever the brain was exposed to postmortem trauma prior to perfusion of the fixative. By two different methods, namely (1) reconstruction of a microscopic field with argentophil and chromophil neurons and (2) restaining with silver of a previously cresyl violet stained section, argentophilia and chromophilia were found to be different tinctorial manifestations of the same neuron. Thus, it has been possible to clarify the artifactual nature of argentophilia. This characteristic is associated with changes in neurofibrils which in the neuronal perikarya are argentophilic.